NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s fifth contingent of peacekeepers departed to Lebanon as part of the next rotation of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, according to the Kazakh Defense Ministry’s press service.
One hundred and twenty officers will spend the next six months stationed at a UNIFIL base in South Lebanon on the border with Israel alongside an Indian battalion.
All officers passed a thorough selection process that assessed their health, moral and psychological stability, physical fitness, English language skills, and experience of service in the Armed Forces.
They will perform nearly 50 tasks, including patrolling the area, checkpoints, roadblocks and taking part in other mission activities.
The Lebanese-Israeli border dispute has lasted for decades. UNIFIL has been putting efforts into ensuring peace along the border and has been working to demarcate it since the early 1970s.
“Your professionalism was commended by the leadership of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. With your conscientious service and high level of combat training, you have demonstrated not only to your compatriots but also to the world a bright example of patriotism, high organisation of service and readiness. Participation of peacekeepers from Kazakhstan in the mission is of great importance for strengthening the profile of our country in the international community, and you have made a huge contribution to this,” said Major General and Commander of the Airborne Troops Kanysh Abubakirov addressing the peacekeepers.
The fourth contingent of Kazakh peacekeepers returned to Kazakhstan a day later. They have been on their mission since August last year.
The 120-troop Kazakh peacekeeping company participated in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission from October 2018 to May 2019, a second 120-member unit remained from May to November in 2019, and the third peacekeeping group has been on its mission since November 2019. Kazakhstan has also deployed its fourth peacekeeping contingent in August.
